.LUO

By KASONDE KASONDE? –

MINISTER of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs Nkandu Luo has said museums are important education centres, as they teach the citizens about who they are and their intellectual abilities.
Prof Luo said museums played a vital role in enhancing people’s understanding in matters of the economy because they learnt from the past and built on the ideals to foster development in the country.
She was speaking in Kabwe yesterday during the ground-breaking ceremony for the Kabwe Museum being constructed by Enviro Processing Limited.
Pro Luo said the country’s economy depended on mining, therefore, it was important to have a museum that was dedicated to the mining activities.
Prof Luo said the Kabwe Museum was important as it was being constructed at a time when the country was celebrating its 50 years of independence.
“The construction of the museum is being established at the right time and place as Kabwe has a powerful history, the struggle for independence began in Kabwe and the first mine in the country was established here,” Prof Luo said.
She thanked Enviro Processing Limited for the initiative which would bring glory to the people of Kabwe and resurrect the education of people in the country around the issues of mining.
Prof Luo said the mining museum should collect all the items that were used by the forefathers so that people could learn how they used little technology to extract raw resources and turn them into valuables.
She added that the museum would also promote the tourism industry as it would create revenue for the country and build the economy in the long run.
She added that negotiations were underway to ensure that the skull of the broken hill man that was discovered in Kabwe was brought back to Kabwe and placed in the mining museum.
Meanwhile, Central Province Permanent Secretary Edwidge Mutale said the people in the province were excited to host the first ever mining museum in the country.?Ms Mutale said the development was welcome, as the province repositioned itself as the hub for development.
She explained that a number of successful stories began in Kabwe such as the first ever mine in the country, saying it was unfortunate that the district has been lagging behind despite the many projects originating from there.
Speaking earlier, Enviro Processing Limited representative Neil Rowley said the company was committed to building a heritage of national resources.
Dr Rowley said Kabwe Mine license was the first ever license to be issued in the country a piece of history that should be passed on.?He said his company would continue supplementing Government’s effort through such initiatives.